20120627

Patricians and Corporatism

The vast political fissure that threatens the very soul of the American Experiment, widened a bit with the reaffirmation of Scott Walker's governorship through the unsuccessful recall. Now I personally believe that Tom Barrett is an honorable man but I think his soft demeanor and non-confrontational style were overwhelmed by the ideological enthusiasm of Walker's adherents. I honestly think in terms of Neville Chamberlain at Munich with bratwurst and beer served at the Governor's Mansion to the tune of "Peace in our time." Then perhaps this argument is just an inevitable ignoratio elenchi via reductio ad hitlerum ... Yes this is a mea culpa to Godwin's Law.The most disastrous of United States Supreme Court decisions are arguable, Scott v. Sandford, Pleassy v. Phergusson, and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Each of these decisions diminished civil liberties and place property property owners's rights before civil liberties. The last, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, has opened the floodgates to the wholesale purchase of the political system by corporate interests; interests primarily controlled by Americas's patrician class. This new crack in the foundation of the American Republic contributed to the massive shift toward neoconservatism in the 2010 midterm, as corporate dollars where used to carpet bomb the airwave with right leaning political advertisements.

The recall election of Scott Walker drove home the power of these special interest. Any television or radio show that in any way touched upon politics was sandwiched between virolent attack ads promulgated by both major political parties. Scott Walker's budget repair bill was a special interest smorgasbord. The repair bill not only paid off contributors, but gutted many of Wisconsin's progressive reforms dating from the first half of the Twentieth Century. The net result was to move regulatory and administrative control of business and environmental regulations out of the hands of professionals and into the hands of the Governor's cronies. This makes fundraising easier for the Governor as the relationship between contributors and payback pork is not interrupted by those pesky privileged academics and nonpartisancivil servants.

Both Republican and democrats share the blame for current conditions. Both your liberties and the very soul of the American Republic is a stake. I don't think we can wait for a turnover in the current USSC or Democratic largess to roll back the laws the ensure corporate domination of politics.Perhaps it is time for a new movement or a new party? Perhaps it is time to become a pirate.